News Desk |
In a joint operation conducted by Malir division police and intelligence agencies, three Al Qaeda terrorists were gunned down while two managed to escape. One of the killed terrorists was accused of being an accomplice in the attack on American journalist Daniel Pearl.
On Monday, Karachi’s Malir Police claimed to have killed three Al Qaeda terrorists during an encounter, a joint-operation conducted by the Police and security agencies in the Khuda Bux Goth region of the Northern Bypass on Sunday night.
Police encounter: Three terrorists killed, two managed to flee in Karachi https://t.co/oUw2gJNlyP
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Syed Irfan Ali Bahadur, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir shared, “We have recovered a suicide jacket, hand grenades and other weapons from the slain terror suspects, however, two of the terrorists succeeded in escaping.”
Police & Security Agencies launched Operation
The encounter was a joint counterterrorism effort led by the Malir division police and security agencies, and it occurred within the boundaries of the Site Super Highway police station. An Edhi ambulance carried the bodies of the slain terrorists to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
SSP Irfan Ali Bahadur revealed that the intelligence agencies tipped off information of certain terrorists arriving in Karachi to carry out a terror attack, and the reports indicated that they were hiding out in the Khuda Bux Goth area.
Karachi has been cleansed of various mafias, and this terror no-go area is again subject of renewed focus of India: PTM, Lyari gangs, foreign-sponsored sectarian cells & leftovers of Al- Qaeda is India’s doing
The Malir division police and security agencies carried out a join-operation to arrest the terror suspects.
However, the terrorists immediately opened fire on the police and intelligence personnel as soon as they arrived on the spot. In exchange, the police and intelligence personnel killed three terrorists, however, SSP Bahadur noted that two terrorists managed to escape.
The police encounter seized one suicide jacket, two sub-machine guns, 10 kilograms worth of ball bearings, one pistol with 38 rounds, two remote control circuits, one remote control, two detonators, and two hand grenades, alongside four yards of detonating wires, and a safety fuse wire, which indicates that the slain terrorists were planning to undertake a massive suicide attack in the city of Karachi.
The police and security agencies are currently searching for the terrorists who managed to escape the site.
Identified as Al-Qaeda Operatives
A press release issued by the Malir Police noted that the slain terrorists have been identified as Al Qaeda operatives from Sindh, including Ameer Talat Mehmood Alia Yousaf, Usman Noor Alam, and Sheikh Shahid.
Talat Mehmood was previously an operative of Da’ish and his name was written in the Red Book. Mehmood was a key operative of Al Qaeda in the Karachi, and a close accomplice of Umar Kathio, accused of being involved in the Safoora case.
Mehmood is accused of martyring a jailer and multiple other police officers in Hyderabad. He and his accomplices were also involved in a wide range of terror crimes committed across Sindh and Balochistan.
Read more: World Crime Index: Karachi now 70th, was 6th in 2014
The statement noted that Al Qaeda terrorist, Sheikh Shahid, was one of the accused terrorists responsible for the attack on American journalist Daniel Pearl, and was jailed from 2002 to 2006. The slain terrorist held profound expertise in creating bombs and suicide jackets, and he was a close companion and accomplice of Naeem Bukhari, who is currently under custody of the security agencies.
The third slain Al-Qaeda terrorist, Usman Noor Alam, was an operative of the terror group throughout the sub-continent. Earlier in 2013, he emerged on the radar of the security agencies when he and his accomplices attacked and martyred four police officials in Karachi’s Korangi area, along with carrying out grenade attacks in an Imam-bargah.
Alam was also responsible for slaying four workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Korangi, and he later emerged in an attack on Rangers and police officials in Karachi’s Saddar area, resulting in the death of two personnel from the Military Police.
The accused Al Qaeda terrorists are booked under a score of multiple other crimes including terrorism and more.
Security Situation in Karachi
Global Village Space reached out to Baloch Geo-Strategic expert Jan Achakzai, with vast expertise on regional terror groups and networks, to explain the dynamics of terror activities across Karachi and Sindh.
Observing the present day security situation in Karachi, Achakzai noted, “Karachi has been cleansed of various mafias, and this terror no-go area is again subject of renewed focus of India: PTM, Lyari gangs, foreign-sponsored sectarian cells & leftovers of Al- Qaeda, TTP, LEJ are being patronized with money, logistics, manpower & tactical prowess.”
Read more: Will al-Qaeda get habitation and a name in Jammu and Kashmir?
The Baloch analyst highlighted that the objectives of the Indian-funded terror networks are to disrupt the peace in Karachi in order to cripple its economy. He noted, “The objective is to harm peaceful Karachi once again and make it unsafe for business and investment. Karachi is now a thriving city after Rangers operation over the last couple of years.”
Jan Achakzai added, “It is now a billion dollar economy. Last Eid, Karachi attracted Asia’s biggest shopping bazaar at Tariq Road. Karachi is now a huge consumer market.”
Highlighting the destructive strategy coined by Delhi, Jan Achakzai underscored the importance of Karachi for Pakistan’s economy. He observed, “This is why ‘you target Karachi to destabilize entire Pakistan” is the strategy beyond these new cells being operated from Delhi.”